Livingstone Youth Action Group

Issue to address: Safety Online

Cyber Bullying is an ongoing concern. Many young people are affected by negative online behaviours.

Solution: Take time online...

The Livingstone Youth Action Group had a variety of messages encouraging kind behaviour printed on a variety of tech gadgets. The items were then distributed to students at local high schools and served as a reminder to think before you post.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group, with the support of PCYC and Council, submitted a funding application under the Queensland Government's 2019 Tackle Cyber Bullying Grants Program.
• The funding application was successful and the group commenced work on the 'Take time while ONLINE' project
• The group came up with some creative messages to encourage kind behaviour online and looked at some handy tech gadgets to get the messages printed on.
• The gadgets included headphones, webcams and laptop stickers and were distributed to students throughout local high schools.

Issue to address: Giving Youth a voice!

Young people expressing what's important to them in a way others will take attention to.

Solution: Being heard.. creatively

The Livingstone Youth Action Group led a street art project delivering a message that's important to them and many
other young people.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group set out to create a piece of street art but wanted to ensure it had meaning behind it.
• Survey - The group established a survey to ask other young people about what the theme for the artwork should be and where they would like to see the artwork. The results showed that an environmental message was important to young people and that the artwork should be near Yeppoon Central.
• Location - The group explored the area looking at potential locations, and identifying the showgrounds fence as desirable. The group approached the Yeppoon Show Society and sought and gained permission for the mural.
• Theme - The group designed a concept and message to reduce littering and get people to consider the environment more. The concept included the world throwing rubbish, with the message 'What if the world treated us, the way we treat her?'
• Implementation - The group engaged with local Artist Martin Schlick to paint the mural, which has received ongoing positive feedback and makes a bold and bright statement!

Issue to address: Fresh produce going to waste

Community garden 'Jack's Paddock' needed solutions to their oversupply of produce.

Solution: Reducing food waste at Jack's Paddock community garden.

The Livingstone Youth Action Group partnered with Upcycle CQ and Jack’s Paddock, in their endeavour to upcycle tech items, and other various items, into something purposeful to donate to Jack’s Paddock community garden.
The solution was to build a solar food dehydrator from recycled items to donate to Jack's Paddock. The dehydrator
being used to preserve food, reducing food wastage.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group met with members of Jack's Paddock's community garden to discuss the garden and potential improvements
• It was during this discussion that food wastage was identified as a concern
• The group researched ways to reduce food wastage, coming across food dehydrators as an option to preserve the food grown in the community garden
• The group worked alongside Upcycle CQ to design and build a food dehydrator from recycled items
• Important elements of the design were discussed and a design was drawn up (see below image)

• From the design the group constructed a prototype from cardboard, allowing a better understanding of working parts etc.
• Once the group were happy with the design/ prototype, the group got on the tools to build the dehydrator using old fridge shelves, timber from picture frames, old wheels from lawn mowers etc.

The outcome...

Dehydrator Project Report

Issue to address: Lack of self-development learning opportunities

The Livingstone Youth Action Group are keen to participate in self-development opportunities, but noticed not much
existed in our local community.

Solution: A program all about youth development and education

The Livingstone Youth Action Group considered youth-relevant topics to design and implement a 'YOU Development' program.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group explored what topics should be covered in the program. Once this list was established we researched who in the community could assist us with delivering the workshops around each of the topics.
• The group sent out correspondence to a large variety of local community organisations seeking their support and partnership for the education program.
• The group then pulled together a final program that included the organisations who responded, which included CQ Youth Connect, Legal Aid, Strengthening Family Connections, Link & Launch and Saver Plus.
• The program was promoted and delivered in the Livingstone Community for young people and families.

The outcome...

In July 2021 the Livingstone Youth Action Group took the opportunity to apply for a grant through the QLD Government’s ‘Investing in QLD Women’ funding initiative to address the unique issues faced by women and girls in the community.

The group investigated the Queensland Women’s Strategy and considered the 4 strategic priorities. The group had a particular interest in key priority area 1: Participation & Leadership. This priority was to ensure Queensland women and girls participate fully and equally in society and as leaders in the community,in politics and business.

Once the group chose this priority area to address they then discussed project ideas that would create positive change for women and girls. After a few brainstorming sessions, the group came up with ‘Project INSPIRE’!

Project INSPIRE is about inspiring young females to take the first step towards their career goals, regardless of the industry, through sharing the stories of local women working in male dominated industries and/or in leadership positions.

The group then set out to find 5 local women doing just that! They approached many male dominated industries to seek out female employees who may be interested in participating in this community project. Through their efforts, they found a female Police Officer, a female Fire Fighter, a female Builder, a female Truck Driver and a female DV worker.

Their next step was to interview these women and ask questions they, and their peers, would find interesting, relatable and inspiring. The 5 women then shared their stories and career journey’s with the group.

The next challenge for the Youth Action Group was to find a way to publish this information in a fun and funky way to encourage young readers engagement! The group worked alongside a graphic designer to turn the 5 women into Avatars and to share these stories through a series of fun Library displays and a book to compliment!

Each high school and Library in the Shire will receive the Library displays and books to continue inspiring young women and empower them to take the first step, regardless of the challenges!

Want to read the stories? Below are the 5 local women who participated in this project and shared their own challenges, inspiration, journeys and successes with us.

You can also view the book here. 

Issue to address: No youth space

There is no space allocated for youth to run activities from within the community. A space that feels youth friendly
and a place young people won't get moved on from.

Solution: Providing a youth-friendly space!

To find a space and develop into a youth-friendly meeting and activity space.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group were meeting in a community room at the Yeppoon Community Centre. The room was dark, old and wasn't a space that would attract young people to engage
• The group considered some minor improvements that could be made to the meeting room, to bring it to life as their meeting space and as a space that youth-relevant activities could be held at
• Another option was the Basketball Stadium which had vacant rooms at the time
• The group decided to focus on the Basketball Stadium and commenced working on improvements for the area
• The group worked with local Artist Martin Schlick to design a mural in the 'Youth Room', group members wanted to include a basketballl, seagull, pizza, phones, waves, palm trees, thongs, skateboard, game controller and other elements unique to our lifestyle into the design
• The group upcycled a timber TV unit, creating a unique basketball themed piece
• PAM furnishings donated some chairs for the youth room and the group purchased a ping pong table also
• The group chose the colours for the walls, and the basketball silhouettes that have visually improved the overall space
• This area is now the Livingstone Youth Action Group's meeting space

The outcome...

Issue to address: Boredom after COVID

Young people were keen to see something fun happen after the past 2 years of COVID restrictions.

Solution:

An event was planned providing an opportunity for young people to celebrate the end of the school year now that
covid restrictions have passed.

How we made it happen!

• The group were keen to plan a youth event to celebrate the end of the school year and what is hopefully the end of many COVID restrictions.
• A Christmas theme dance & games night was planned, with the group organising inflatable amusements and a games schedule
• The group utilised their new youth space at the Basketball court to run the event from.
• QLD Police were invited also to ensure safety.
• Blazers Basketball ran the canteen.
• Group members ran the games schedule on the night with gift cards as prizes.

The outcome...